ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is disturbed with the polling results of the twin cities, and is aiming to get back on by-election.
In election 2013, Javed Hashmi won with heavy margin against Anjum Aqeel Khan in NA-48, Imran Khan won against Hanif Abbasi in NA-56 and Sheikh Rasheed won against Shakeel Awan in NA-55 that annoyed top leadership of PML-N, sources said.
The PML-N leadership formed a committee comprising Raja Zafrul Haq and Zafar Iqbal Jhagara to make a detailed factfindings report over the shameful defeat in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, which were considered strongholds of PML-N, the sources added.
Keeping in view the history of twin cities, the PML-N has won every single seat in the Rawalpindi since 1990, except one in 2008.
In history, the PML-N every time won with massive margin. The lowest margins were seen in 2008 with 30 per cent, while the highest margin is as large as 70 per cent. Last year, when Raja Pervaiz Ashraf of the PPP won from NA-51, he only had a lead of 11 percent.
Voter turnouts were equal to Rawalpindi and Islamabad approximately 61 percent. In the run-up to the elections, analysts said that PTI won because of a higher voter turnout.
The PML-N candidates have disappointed and shocked over defeat and they are aiming to win back in bi-election, only if PTI Chairman Imran Khan and PTI President Javed Hashmi decided to let go their seats over their seats from Mianwali and respectively.
The results were similar on the provincial assembly level that a significant won of Ijaz Khan Jazi and Raja Rashid Hafeez won over Zia Ullah Shah and Sardar Naseem of PML-N. The PML-N was expecting remarkable win and was not expecting such defeat from PTI because PTI candidates on provincial seats were not considered stronger then PML-N candidates.
However, despite claiming a high number of seats, the PML-N faced much tougher competition. Analysts predicted that the anti-incumbency factor might just weaken the PML-N in twin cities. The capital results were different in NA-48 partially because of different demographics of voters.
The PML-N managed to win both its seats in 2008, but equally split them with the PPP in 2002. However, elections before 2002 did indicate that the PML-N was stronger in Islamabad.
A highly reliable source of PML-N reveals that party top leadership is very shocked over defeat of their candidates in NA-48, NA-55 and NA-56 and few leaders who are against Ch Nisar, are blaming him for choosing poor and corrupt candidates to contest the elections. They are hoping to win back their seats if Javed Hashmi and Imran Khan surrendered their seats, he asserted.